Companies responses 2005

Peterstar

In 2005 five students of our faculty accomplished their practical training in the PeterStar Company: Olga Gachko, Anton Kleymenov, Eugene Kolosov, Anastas Oganov, Angelina Stankovskaya. The students have shared their impressions with the Career Center.

Anton Kleymenov and Angelina Stankovskaya recount:

We were really excited when we found out that we were going to do our practical work within the commercial group in the department of telematic services of the PeterStar Company. But at the same time we were a bit worried about the unusual name of the department. While our mates were getting invitations to marketing departments we were tormenting ourselves over the question: what are the telematic services?

It turned out that the commercial group in the department of telematic services is almost the same thing as the marketing department, even better! The department offers the services connected with the Internet. Our duty in this department was dealing with current questions concerning the realization of strategic projects.

Anton:

I was the first to do the practical training (in July). I can admit that I found myself in a wonderful group of versatile people. And this was again confirmed by the versatile character of the tasks that were given to me during the practical training. From the very first day I realized that telematics is the basis of telecommunications. I assisted the managers of the group in several projects: Wi-Fi, hosting, Internet and telephone cards, monitoring of competitors and the work of the dealing network. Although I had already had some professional experience in marketing, I have to mention the fact that the telecom segment of the market has its own specific characteristics that influence the work. Here everything develops faster and more dynamically. And work can really capture your mind despite all the complexity.

Angelina:

It was somehow easier for me to enter the company because Anton had created a brilliant impression of SOM students in the department of telematic services. That is why the employees of the department accepted me in a really friendly manner. I plunged into work from the very first day. And every day I learnt more and more about the telecommunication market of Saint-Petersburg and Moscow. Most of all I enjoyed the opportunity to deal with absolutely different tasks: analyzing the market, doing research on the long-term trends of demand and the survey about the competitors. In order to carry out one of the tasks I even had to apply my acting skills, so now I know the most secret aspects of commercial departments’ life!

We haven’t only had a very enjoyable time but also gained very valuable working experience in the sphere of marketing during our practical training in the PeterStar Company. We’d like to thank all the members of the telematic department because they have always accommodated us; they have clearly defined the tasks and controlled the results objectively. We’d like to wish all the students who are to have their practical trainings to get this experience only in such companies as PeterStar!!!

Procter&Gamble

Ikhilchik Irina:

“Procter&Gamble”… There is so much in these words for any student of the SOM… Each 1st-year student dreams about working or just being an intern in this huge multinational company. At Career Days, which are regularly held at the faculty, most students usually gather around “P&G” stand. All of them dream about spending several months in another city (deportation), doing hard work (drudgery)… I was one of them, and I was lucky to make the dream come true: this summer I spent two months in Logistics department of “P&G”.

The first impression about the company is got while passing multi-step recruitment process: it becomes clear that you compete for a serious job, as well as high salary and good conditions of work. However only when you start your internship, you fully understand the nature of work that you will have to do and requirements made to each employee of the company. From the first day intern is made in charge of an important project, and he/she is fully responsible for the results. My project was connected with optimization of transport utilization: realization of such project can bring considerable transportation cost saving to the company. And from the first day the intern must start his/her way to the successful realization of the project that he/she is in charge of. To stimulate the new-hired person to reach outstanding results his/her manager regularly holds meetings aimed at understanding the mid-way results and giving feedback, which in most cases doubles the volume of impending job (in the rest of cases future job is tripled).

During the first two weeks the intern, as well as new-hired person in “P&G”, passes the so-called on-boarding program, aimed at giving information about the work of the department on the whole, as well as about the functions of certain employees and working groups. The education is held by the employees of the department, who tell about their responsibilities and projects.

In the end of the internship comes the time, when you have to show the final results of your work. The intern presents the results to the management of the department (the Lead Team). As for my project, the management decided to allocate necessary resources for the project realization.

If we speak about the specialties of the work at “P&G” on the whole, then among them there will be long working day, constant dealing with multi-national collective (experience in branches of the company in various countries is the necessary condition for career development in “P&G”), high level of responsibility. On the other hand, during my internship I participated in several corporate festivities, which were very well organized, where employees had a possibility to divert from work occupying their minds almost all the time and have a good rest.

The internship in “P&G” is undoubtedly priceless experience, which cannot fail to be useful in the future. Thanks to the work in the company I understood my strong and weak points, got what to correct and what to learn and realized in what direction to move.

Chainaya Lozhka (Tea Spoon)

Olga Alkanova (3 year, Advertising management):

I practiced in the Marketing department of a cafe-network “Chainaya Lozhka” from July, 1st till August, 31st. Maybe for someone they are just pancake makers. But this small company achieved a great success at St Petersbourg catering market during the last three years and has already started developing regional markets. But they have much to learn from in their Marketing department. And this is not just the case of knowledge and experience, they have a real team spirit. The collective is young and very friendly. Even if you are a trainee, they accept you right away and help to get into gear as soon as possible.

Of course, at first it was difficult because that was my first serious work experience. My responsibilities included marketing research from planning to analysis and making a report. Due to this practice I felt that marketing is really my occupation. Also I was lucky to take part in corporate training “The Formula of Success”. It lasted one day and let me know better the company and people who work for it.

IKEA

Gavrilova Arina (4 year, International Management):

We were the first students of SOM, who worked as trainees in IKEA. First of all, I would like to say, that it was really great! Interesting job, friendly colleagues, opportunity to feel responsible for the successes of the company… But let’s start from the very beginning.

The first thing which impressed us in the company was its atmosphere, which we could sense right on the interview. There was no tricky or standard questions. We just had a kind of a “small talk”, but it lasted for an hour. After that a representative of the company made for us a short tour of the IKEA. After the interview we understood that we all want to work there and nowhere else.

That’s why we were so excited to hear, that we got a job in a marketing department. Each of us was responsible for conducting a particular project. All of them were of the great importance for the company. They were devoted to such topics as “Barriers for Coming”, “Customer’s Profile”, “IKEA: Customer’s View”, “Competitive Advantages of the Company”. We were provided by all necessary technical means, materials and people, who helped us on the stage of the field observation. But the most important thing was that we could enjoy the whole freedom of making decisions, considering our projects. It was up to us when, how and by what means the researches would be carried out. The company stated only some strategical targets. How to reach them was in our competence. In the end of our training we presented the results of the surveys to the top management of IKEA-Dybenko.

However, though carrying out researches was our core work, it was not the only. The first month we worked in different departments of IKEA. For two weeks we worked as shop-assistants in the shopping area, then we spent a few days in the Logistics department and also in Customer Service. This gave us an opportunity to feel the company from inside.

It’s essential to say a few words about IKEA’s corporate culture. As we cane to work on our first working day, the representatives of the company showed us a movie about Sweden. It was made on purpose, so that we could better understand the main values of IKEA. It was then, that we first knew about the quite informal style of communications between co-workers. As it was said: “We respect a person not for his/her status, but for his/her deeds”. All employees in IKEA are very helpful and friendly, always eager to help each other. And it’s also a part of the culture.

In conclusion, I would like to recommend everyone, who gets an opportunity to work in IKEA, not to miss his/her chance. It will be an unforgettable experience!

The purpose of the internship was to get a relevant experience in a big international company and to acquire a vision of how the business is done in such companies.

The first working week took place in St. Petersburg and consisted of getting acquainted with brands La Roche-Posay and Vichy and visiting pharmacies with LRP and Vichy representatives. I learned much and came to Moscow with some basic vision of the active cosmetic brands and how they are sold in pharmacies.

During the first day in Moscow I got acquainted with my department, most of the personnel and the corporate atmosphere and working style, which turned out to be a pleasant surprise for me, as I had supposed that it would be much more bureaucratic and formal. On the second day I visited several pharmacies with LRP representative in Moscow, learning the difference between situations in St. Petersburg and Moscow pharmacies.

During the first one or two weeks in Moscow I was learning some specific aspects of the business, such as preparation and production of POS-materials, ordering and implementation of PLV-products, publications in “glossy” magazines and translation of some press materials. I took part in creating the design of some POS-materials, editing the articles and calculation the costs of orders for PLV-products. At the same time I enjoyed the opportunity to develop a kind of “global vision” of the business while dealing with La Roche-Posay overall budget and taking part in forecasting the sales.

Of course, at the beginning some aspects of my work seemed to be quite tough, since I was not acquainted with the range of products and formal procedures, such as creating the codes and writing out DED, and what is even more important this internship was my first serious work at all. That is why the role of my colleagues, who helped me during my first days, could not be overestimated.

What I really enjoyed during my internship at L’Oreal was the opportunity to receive a valuable experience in different areas. In spite of working in marketing department I learned much about sales, finance and logistics apart from performing some direct marketing tasks. Another point worth emphasizing is that there were some projects which I was responsible for. Of course they were small and not global, but they were mine and I could feel that I contributed to the company’s success. These were creating the design and text for leaflets for complex products, making the overall table of La Roche-Posay marketing expenses, creating and installing in pharmacies the make-up action leaflets, to name only a few.

At the same time I took part in two big projects: launch of Kerium for pharmacists and the action “Hydration of sensitive skin”. The first one took place on the 5th September in Renaissance Hotel and consisted of a big presentation and several small workshops. Before the launch I helped with creating the necessary materials, choosing the place and decorating it, and finally working out the plan of the launch. A few days before the event the situation was close to disaster, but finally thanks to the efforts of all La Roche-Posay employees, it went off almost perfectly. During the event I was conducting one of the workshops on La Roche-Posay textures, dealing with pharmacists and teaching them on this topic. I really enjoyed witnessing the birth of “La Roche-Posay-addict pharmacist” (quoting Jean-Alexandre, LRP General Director). As to the action “Hydration of sensitive skin”, which began at the end of September, I took part in creating the POS-materials, preparing the necessary documentation and calculating the cost of the action.

On August 24th I visited the commercial meeting of La Roche-Posay which really contributed to developing the vision of the brand and the active cosmetics market.

At the end I would like to express my gratitude to all the people I worked with for friendly relations and help during my internship. I guess it would really contribute to my future professional life as well as my personal development.